?Chapter 1146:


    From that moment until now, he had refused to speak. The longer his silence stretched, the more uneasy Pattie became.


    But when faced with Pattie’s question, Rnd simply closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to offer any exnation.


    Pattie could no longer stand the heavy quiet. She rose quickly, crossed the short space between them, and leaned down as she tilted his chin upward so Rnd would meet her eyes.


    Rnd’s eyelids lifted at her touch. For an instant, their stares shed. The air grew still except for the faint rhythm of their breathing.


    Pattie spoke carefully, weighing each word with meaning. “Rnd, I need you to tell me. Do you like me?”


    Rnd’s throat worked as he swallowed hard. His lips parted as though words were about toe, but he faltered and let them fall back into silence. The hesitation weighed on him more heavily than any interrogation in a courtroom.


    Then, without warning, warmth brushed against his mouth.


    Rnd’s eyes flew wide in shock as he realized what she had done.


    Pattie’s lips lingered on his before teasing his lower lip, and then she pressed closer, deepening the kiss.


    The sudden rush of it struck Rnd like a storm, fierce and unrelenting, leaving him utterly unprepared.


    vor both sweet and intoxicating spread across their mouths as their tongues tangled, and for a fleeting moment, Rnd’s mind went utterly nk before a rush of dazzling images burst through.


    It was as if the night sky had erupted in color, fireworks bursting while meteors cut across the heavens.


    Rnd surrendered to the moment, his thoughts wiped away once more, and his eyes drifted shut as though the closeness belonged to them naturally.


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    His heart raced with a rhythm he had never known, pounding so wildly that his breath turned uneven, even though this was not the first time they had kissed.


    Pattie slipped onto hisp, her palms steadying on his shoulders. The closeness of her face left their breath mingling in the narrow space between them.


    She leaned in until no distance remained, forcing him deeper into the sofa while stripping away every strand of reason. Rnd gave up resisting altogether, and for once, he stopped letting courtrooms orwsuits intrude on his thoughts.


    His first impulse was to pull her close, to cling to her as though letting go would be impossible.


    Time slipped by without measure before their mouths finally broke apart.


    They were left breathless, their cheeks tinged with a gentle flush.


    “Rnd.”


    Pattie’sshes quivered lightly, and her smile seemed to brighten straight from her eyes.


    She lifted her index finger, drew a circle on his chest, and drawled, “It doesn’t matter if you’re unsure. What matters is that I already know I like you.”


    Her expression shifted, the yfulness vanishing. “Listen to me. I strive to be the person I want to be. You won’t be able to run from that.”


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